Non-clogging spray nozzle



Ap i 1964 A. E. BROUGHTON 3,128,046

NON-CLOGGING SPRAY NOZZLE Filed Sept. 23, 1960 INVENTOR. Aemuz 5 Beouaurou United States Patent Ofiice 3,128,046 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 3,128,046 NQN-CLOGGING SPRAY NUZZLE Arthur E. Broughton, Glens Falls, N.Y., assignor to A. E. Broughton & Co., Inc, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 58,100 1 Claim. (Cl. 239116) This invention is related generally to the spray nozzle disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 835,028, filed August 20, 1959, now abandoned, and constitutes an improvement on the previously disclosed nozzle.

This application is presently being filed as a continuation-in-part of the above identified application.

As has been brought out in my previously issued United States Patent No. 2,665,946, there are many instances where it is desirable to use unfiltered water or other liquids which contain a small proportion of solids in suspension. This is particularly true in the paper making industry where the use of white water showers produce a substantial savings not only in the quantity of water being used but also the quantity of water being added to the pulp mass. All of said water must, of course, be subsequently removed from the pulp during the paper making process. While the spray nozzles disclosed and claimed in my above identified patent have permitted a cleaning plunger to be reciprocated within the tube they still provide an enlarged recess or pocket on the inside of the tube surface which cannot be cleaned by the plunger and within which solids accumulate. In the case of such white water showers such as the one illustrated in my prior United States Patent No. 2,829,005, the fibers or slivers from the paper pulp are carried by the white water into the nozzle openings and if the inner ends thereof are too large to continue through the opening, the spray orifices will become plugged. The cleaning plunger will break off the inwardly projecting end of such fibers; however, where there is a recess or pocket adjacent the nozzle passage, the enlarged inner end of the fiber remaining in the pocket area after the sliver has been broken off will still prevent said sliver from passing out through the nozzle opening. Prior nozzles for producing a fan type spray have previously required this recess or pocket on the inside thereof, however, this present nozzle construction is designed to produce the desired fan type spray pattern While maintaining the smooth, uniform internal nozzle surface.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a novel and highly etficient nozzle construction for use with spray tubes provided with internal nozzle cleaning apparatus for spraying liquids containing solid impurities.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a spray nozzle construction which produces a smooth uniform inner surface within the shower tube from which pockets and recesses have been entirely eliminated thus permitting efficient and positive removal of all inwardly projecting portions of solid materials which have become lodged in the spray nozzle passages obstructing the flow of liquid being sprayed therethrough.

Still more specifically it is an object of the invention disclosed herein to provide a spray nozzle wherein solid particles carried by the liquid being sprayed may be quickly and completely removed from the nozzle passages whenever the inwardly projecting portions thereof have been removed to permit the outer portions to pass freely through the outwardly enlarged passages.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawing,

wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a typical white water shower for paper making machines;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of one form of my invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section thereof taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of my nozzle insert per se;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an alternative form of my invention; and,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section thereof taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawing, I show a shower tube 10 particularly designed for use with liquid containing solid impurities such as water known as white water in the paper making industry. The tube 10 has a cleaning plunger assembly 11 which includes a pair of spaced apart cushioning plungers 11a with a cleaning plunger 11b positioned therebetween. The cleaning plunger 11b has a stiff resiliently expandable sealing ring 11c mounted in a peripheral groove therein. The plunger assembly 11 is moved through the shower tube 10 by the water pressure therein. For this purpose a by-pass conduit 12 communicates with the respective ends of the shower tube 10 and is connected thereto by means of the connector castings 13 and 14 respectively attached to the ends of said tube 10. A control valve 15 which is similar to the four-way control valve shown in my prior United States Patent No. 2,829,- 005 is provided for reversing the direction of flow through the shower tube 10. Liquid is supplied under pressure through a supply conduit 16 and the liquid in the tube 10 ahead of the plunger and the material removed by the plunger 11 is discharged through a drain conduit 17 during each stroke of the plunger assembly 11 through the shower tube in the manner described in my prior United States Patent No. 2,829,005

The spray nozzles illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 embody one form of my invention. Each spray nozzle consists in insert members 18 positively fixed to the shower tube as by being spot-welded and soldered or brazed thereto. The inside of said nozzles is shaped to conform precisely to the inside curvature of shower tube 10 as illustrated in FIG. 3. For this purpose an outer peripheral shoulder 19 similar to the shoulder 13 of the nozzle insert shown in my prior United States Patent No. 2,665,946 is provided to abut the outside of the tube 10 and accurately position the inner surface of the nozzle with respect to the inside of said shower tube. The shoulder 19 also facilitates positive sealed attachment of the insert 18 to the tube as by being welded and soldered or brazed to the surrounding outside tube surface.

A recess 18a is cut into the central portion of the insert from the outer surface thereof and is substantially deeper in the central portion than at the end portions thereof and has sloping side wall surfaces which are designed to produce the desired fan spray pattern. The liquid passes through a pair of spray passages 1812 which are in the form shown of progressively increasing diameter toward the outer ends thereof to materially reduce clogging under normal operating conditions and to permit any particles lodged therein to pass freely outwardly as soon as the inwardly projecting portions of such particles are removed. The passage-s 13b converge outwardly with respect to each other at an angle of approximately 70 and these outwardly converging nozzle passages 13b combine with the side walls of the recess 18a to produce the desired spray pattern which in the form illustrated constitutes a fan type spray.

By conforming the inner curvature of the inner surface of the nozzle insert 13a to the curvature of the inside of the tube It and by positioning the inside surface of the nozzle 18 flush with the inside surface of the tube 10, it will be seen that l have provided a completely smooth inner tube surface through which the plunger assembly 11 can travel. The recess or pocket formerly required on the inside surface of the nozzle insert has been entirely eliminated and the intersections of the nozzle passages 18!) with said inside surface form the only openings therein. Thus, the shearing edges of the plunger ring 116 will shear off the inwardly projecting portions of any fibers which have become lodged in the spray passages 18]) flush with the intersection of said passages with the inner surface of the tube so that no enlarged retaining head will be left on the sliver or fiber to retain the same in the nozzle passage as might be the case if a pocket or recess were formed adjacent the inner end of each of said nozzle passages. By providing passages 18b which are larger in diameter at their outer ends than at their inner ends, any fibers which have been lodged in said passages will pass freely out with the flowing water after removal of the inwardly projected portions by the plunger. By providing a nozzle insert such as the insert 18 illustrated in F168. 1-4 it is possible to use a more wear-resistant material for the nozzle so that the spray pattern will remain uniform for a relatively long period of time. This would not be possible where the tube itself is constructed of a relatively soft material which would be subject to abrasive wear from the solids contained in the white water.

In certain instances the shower tubes themselves are constructed of relatively hard, wear-resistant material. Such a tube is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 and is designated by the numeral 20. In this form of my invention, the outer surface of the tube has a recess 21 machined therein which is generally similar to the recess 18a previously described and a pair of spray passages 22 generally similar to the spray passages 18b previously described and drilled through the Wall of the tube inwardly from the sides of the recess 21.

It is apparent in both forms of the invention that the actual spray design will depend upon the relationship of the angle of outward convergence of the nozzle passages and the shape and angular relationship of the surfaces of the outer recess 18a or 21. In both forms of the invention, however, the inner surface of the spray tube will be completely free from recesses and pockets and the passages 18b are outwardly enlarged, thus permitting complete and effective removal of any and all fibers or slivers which have become lodged in the spray passages.

It will be seen that I have provided a novel and highly efficient nozzle construction which is particularly designed to permit positive and effective periodic cleaning to maintain the same in properly operative condition at all times.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes will be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention, which generally stated, consists in the matter disclosed in claims herein.

What is claimed is:

A spray tube assembly comprising a generally cylindrical elongated hollow shower tube, a cleaning plunger working in close fitting relation within said tube and responsive to change in the direction of flow of liquid through the tube for axial shifting movement therewithin, said tube having a plurality of apertures in the wall thereof, a nozzle insert in each aperture, each nozzle insert having an exteriorly disposed recess with one axis thereof lying parallel to the axis of the tube and the contour of the entire inner surface of each nozzle insert forming a smooth continuation of the inner surface of said tube, each insert having passages the inner ends of which are of less diameter than their outer ends, the axes of said passages being arranged to converge toward and communicate with said recess and the inner ends of said passages being passed by said close fitting plunger during axial shifting movement thereof within the tube, whereby solids lodged in said passages will be sheared off at the inner ends of said passages for expulsion through the nozzle portions of larger diameter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 949,489 Mastin Feb. 15, 1910 1,180,807 Vedder Apr. 25, 1916 1,823,635 Williams Sept. 15, 1931 2,008,932 Siegmund July 23, 1935 2,535,776 Berestneff Dec. 26, 1950 2,665,946 Broughton Jan. 12, 1954 2,757,963 Drell Aug. 7, 1956 2,829,005 Broughton Apr. 1, 1958 van 

